This is in response to Norm asking about "Carmack Room" at Marvel Cave.
I forwarded Norm's email to my brother, Joel Laws, St. Louis, who like myself
is a descendant of the Crocker, MO Carmack's through our great grandmother
Susan Elizabeth Carmack Greer. Just so happens Joel is an avid caver for
many years - so read on cousins.... I'll think you'll get a chuckle from this
one.
Denni Laws
Denni,
I put your question out on the Missouri Caving Discussion list and here is a
response I got. It sounds believable to me. Jon is a friend of mine, and
lives in Springfield. Joel
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 23:27:44 -0500
From: Jonathan Breckenridge Beard <mokanman(a)worldnet.att.net>
To: mocaves(a)lists.umsl.edu
Subject: Re: Carmack Room - Marvel Cave
The room to which he is referring is the Temple of Karnak, a tall
joint-determined passage that the tour group sees just prior to entering the
Fairy Chamber from which the group embarks on the tram that takes them out of
this popular destination for
visitors at Silver Dollar City. The passage and name appear on the S. Fred
Prince map completed in 1902 (that's right folks, cave mapping started long
before the MSS, and this 100-year old map is pretty darn good for its time).
Back then, the cave
was known as Marble Caverns. It is my understanding that the name "Temple of
Karnak" has no relation to the surname of Carmack, at least in any direct
sense. I believe that the origin of the Temple of Karnak lies in ancient
Egypt. Karnak is a
location in which the burial of Rameses II can be found, and the various
buildings surrounding Rameses original sarcophagus constitute the collective
"Temple of Arum at Karnak" or the Temple of Karnak, for short. Now, if Mr.
Carmack is descended
from Rameses, then by golly, we've got something here!
Regards,
JON
mocaves wrote:
mocaves
Subject: Carmack Room - Marvel Cave
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 19:39:32 -0500
From: "Laws, Joel" <Joel_Laws(a)umsl.edu>
To: <mocaves(a)lists.umsl.edu>
MoCavers,
Does anyone know any history of the Carmack Room in Marvel Cave? Some of
my relatives are curious. Joel
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 9:56 PM
To: Laws, Joel
Subject: Fwd: Hi My Dear Carmack Cousins !!
Joel
I receive emails about Carmack family reserch (Grandma Edith Greer was a
Carmack
descendant) Do you know anything about the cave mentioned here?
Listen up!
Does anyone know of the origin of the 'CARMACK ROOM' in the Marvel Cave at
Branson, Missouri?
My 2nd cousin from Kansas visited there recently and as they were
leaving,
the caretaker saw his name on his 'tag' and asked if he had
visited the
'Carmack Room'...but she didn't know the origin of the name. Any help out
there on this one????
Ya'll be good...cheers from Texas!
Norm Carmack
Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.